Belper man shot himself on Boxing Day

court reporter

A joiner killed himself with his own shotgun on Boxing Day, an inquest has found.

The hearing, on Thursday, was told Stephen Parkin had no history of mental illness and he did not leave a note.

Mr Parkin, 33, was found dead at his home, in Snowberry Avenue, Belper, by a family member. The last person to have any contact with Mr Parkin was his partner Sherry Russell, who saw him at 6.15pm on Christmas Day. She received a missed call from him 13 minutes later. He did not answer any calls made to him after that, Derby and Derbyshire Coroners' Court heard.

Sergeant Baldev Bilan, who was one of the first officers at the scene, said: "My immediate reaction was that it was not an accident and was a deliberate act."

Louise Pinder, deputy coroner for Derbyshire, asked the officer: "During the course of your inquiries did you uncover anything that (indicated) his state of mind had declined?"

"There was nothing obvious," replied Sgt Bilan.

"No indication as to why this may have happened?," asked Miss Pinder.

"There's no direct correlation to anything as to why he may do this," said Sgt Bilan.

Miss Pinder said: "So your conclusion that it was a deliberate act is based on what you saw at the scene itself?"

"That's correct," replied the officer. He added: "There wasn't a way in which those injuries could have occurred from an accident."

Miss Pinder said in the statements from his partner Miss Russell and mother Estelle Jones there was no evidence that Mr Parkin had become mentally unwell or previously threatened to harm himself.

Concluding that Mr Parkin had taken his own life, Miss Pinder said: "Stephen Parkin was found deceased at his home on Boxing Day, having sustained fatal injuries consistent with a gunshot wound to the head. Evidence with regards to the injury pattern and from the scene, (is) that Mr Parkin carried out the act deliberately. The shotgun was registered in his name and the house was secure."